NFL analyst challenges Josh Allen to overcome last season’s ‘alarming’ performances in 2023 - “He has the most to prove”
For Josh Allen, there has been a lot of discussion about his performances since last season came to a disappointing end to the Cincinnati Bengals.
There were no doubts that the best three teams in the conference were the Bengals, the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, but the cold reality is that the Bills lost in the playoffs three straight times for the other two opponents.
Even worse, the 33-14 loss to the Bengals in January had Allen with such a poor performance that star wide receiver Stefon Diggs was screaming at him on the sidelines.
The quarterback's talent is not a question by any means, but the pressure is starting to mount after not reaching the Super Bowl in the past few years, while Mahomes and Burrow dominated the conference over the last four seasons.
ESPN analyst Freddie Coleman gave his verdict on First Take, and he believes that this is a year where Allen is under immense pressure:
“I hate to do this to Josh Allen, because I think he and I know he's an elite quarterback in the NFL. But he has the most to prove, especially after last year, because how much do we hear? To be fair, the Damar Hamlin situation at the end of the season would wreck a lot of teams, but I thought, even before that happened, he did not deal [well] with the pressure."
"Those 14 interceptions were alarming. I thought he put too much on himself, and you can't be the best quarterback and the best running back with all that pressure, and think that's going to work in your favor.”
Is Josh Allen good? Is he an elite quarterback?
He's an excellent quarterback who isn't afraid of absolutely nothing, whether it's taking risks with his throws in tight windows, throwing a bomb with his strong arm or hitting a defender when he's running with the football.
With an arm capable of making any and all types of throws, he can pull an explosive play out of nowhere at any time. He has also greatly improved his decision-making -- and because of his arm strength, he can connect with his receivers in windows that most quarterbacks don't even see.
There's no doubt he belongs to the 'elite' tier.
When will the Buffalo Bills start the 2023 season?
They have a mouth-watering matchup against the Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets on September 11, during a Monday Night Football game.
Apart from the 22nd anniversary of September 11, 2001, Allen and Rodgers going head-to-head will be one of the best quarterback duels of the season.